Question

Breaking a graphite tip of a pencil might be little tough but peeling or sharpening pencil tips is quite easy. Could you identify why?

• A. Sharp blade can peel off but cannot break obliquely
• B. When pencil tip is peeled or sharpened, the cloud of electrons surrounding carbon nuclei shifts and makes it easy
• C. When pencil tip is peeled or sharpened, the cloud of electrons surrounding carbon nuclei gathers and helps in peeling
• D. Electrons cloud is uniform all over and helps in peeling by gathering together

Answer 1

The correct option is B

When pencil tip is peeled or sharpened, the cloud of electrons surrounding carbon nuclei shifts and makes it easy

Pencil tips made up of graphite is hard to break obliquely. The peeling though is quite easy.

The bonds between atoms of carbon in the layers of graphite may be strong, but the bonds that are formed by carbon atoms between layers are quite weak and hence the peeling is caused by shifts in the cloud of electrons surrounding carbon nuclei and that makes it easy.